University of Missouri Extension

IPM1007, Revised November 2009

Practical Weed Science for the Field Scout: Corn and Soybean

Woodsorrel, yellow (Oxalis stricta)

Perennial broadleaf

A perennial with trifoliate, heart-shaped leaves and yellow flowers. Seedlings have cotyledons that are very small and round to oblong in outline. Mature plants grow prostrate along the ground and have leaves that are arranged alternately along the stem, occur on long petioles, and are divided into three heart-shaped leaflets. Flowers occur in clusters that arise from long stalks in the leaf axils. Individual flowers consist of five bright yellow petals. Mature plants develop 3/4-inch-long capsules that are cylindrical and pointed, and are sparsely hairy. Seeds disperse from capsules by explosively ejecting up to 13 feet from the parent plant.

IPM1007 Practical Weed Science for the Field Scout: Corn and Soybean | University of Missouri Extension